Team-BHP (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/)

-   What Car? (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/what-car/)

-   -   Is an Automatic gearbox a good choice for the hills? (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/what-car/193323-automatic-gearbox-good-choice-hills.html)

Hi all, need help choosing a new car. My friend, currently based in Delhi, is moving to the hills, relocating to a hamlet close to Mukteshwar. He plans to buy a car that will work well in the hills and also for his runabouts when he drives back to the city. Plans to head back to Delhi not more than once a month, and some local hill driving as well thru the month. Has a budget of approx 9 lacs. Wants to check is automatic is a good choice for the hills. And any other recommendations.

I would advise against ATs that are AMT based. They will simply slip the clutch and the car will roll back on hill starts, if the handbrake is not used. Torque Converters, DSGs etc. should be ok.

In an AT, to get engine braking, it might need to be slotted in 2/L/M modes of the gearbox. As long as your friend is comfortable with all the workings of the gearbox, it shouldn't matter on the choice. Please take test drives of all the potential candidates and compare the differences. If you can manage to test them on an inclined area, nothing like it.

Really depends on the type of Automatic and the car. As Blackwasp said, avoid AMTs. They are sad on hilly terrain. Also avoid poorly matched CVTs - as an example, the Nissan CVTs which are so damn sluggish.

A solid torque-converter AT or a CVT mated to a strong engine (e.g. Honda City) will serve your friend well. For 9 lakhs, he can consider the Elite i20 AT. I've reviewed the engine & gearbox here (previous-gen car).

Umm.. not sure why he would want an automatic for the hills. There are not many gear changes required anyway. Most of the climbs around Mukteshwar/Almora can be tackled in 3rd. Roads aren't too bad either. Any petrol MT hatch should do. Manuals also have the added benefit of engine braking when going downhill. I know you can also simulate that in an AT, but for his major use case, a MT should do just fine. Infact, AT might prove to be more work than a MT up there.

The Polo TSI DSG AT would be one AT that will be perfect for the hills. Downside is that it would go beyond the set budget and being a VW car, after sales can be a challenge especially if there is no service center close by.

Not a very popular car, but I think the Brio AT with its 5 speed TC gearbox and Honda's popular 1.2 iVtec may be a good choice.

1) Even AMTs are fine because most of them in your price range will have a manual mode.

2) CVTs offer the smoothest (but noisy) hill climb experience - because the car is always in the "right gear". But you need to plan a few seconds ahead and make sure your accelerator inputs are perfect.

3) If the shortlisted car has torque convertor mated to a small (weak) petrol engine, make sure it has a manual mode.

4) Go for diesel AT if possible. Diesels produce higher torque at low RPM, and this characteristic hides most shortcomings of a slow AT transmission.

How about using Manual mode on the AMT. All AMT's today come with manual mode, so should not be an issue with clutch slippage.

As mentioned above, Hyundai i20 would be a good purchase. Its due for a facelift, most likely during Auto Expo, which may add some missing features. Another car worth looking at would be Jazz.

The major issue with AT is starting on an incline. To negate that, while its a stretch but Ecosport Trend+ with hill start assist would be a good option. The car is good for highway drives too. That's where I felt Hyundai's 4 speed AT lacks.

I own a Corolla AT which comes with a 4-speed torque coverter and taken her to the hills. For uphill, she was on D mode all through. Only one 45+ degree gradient on a hair pin with a vehicle on the opposite lane impeding my climb did I put her on manual (2nd gear). She took downhill on D as well, with a handful of inclines, I put in manual for my satisfaction.

So as long as there is manual mode to the rescue (for those few situations) and a good motor to back it up, your friend should be fine.

If its a new car, take a test drive on the terrain its going to be used for. Used options in the budget of 9L have better engine-gearbox combinations. So I wouldn't be too worried.

I expect the Jazz to be quite a pain to drive up inclines, given its slow engine and CVT transmission.

I took my EcoSport automatic (the facelift model) on a drive to Kalimpong a few days ago and it managed the entire journey (both uphill and down) in 'D' mode. It never felt strained or anything of the sort. The car seemed to always know the right gear to engage and there was always ample power to be had whenever I stepped down on the accelerator. If your budget permits you, this is one of the better choices.

I would prefer a MT in the hills given that it does not have a brain of its own to up-shift when I need to revv the engine on an incline. Even though there are ATs with hill hold assist and other gadgetry, an MT will be my preferred choice.

But whatever the transmission you choose, please buy a car that can be serviced locally and the spares are available easily in the hills.

Jazz CVT is quite a pain to drive even on normal roads owing to its sluggish engine mated with a CVT transmission. I had TD'ed it recently and hated the experience. This car has to be avoided from the list if majority of the usage is going to be on the hills.

I would say that it takes a higher degree of skill to choose the right gear on an incline / decline. An AT will definitely make things easier.

I thought of the DSG too, but the thought of a high-tech gearbox breaking down on the hills with no VW shop closeby cancelled that recommendation :D.

Too sluggish.

Starting off will still be tricky. You have to make judicious use of the handbrake.

Nice! Thanks for sharing feedback of the new engine + gearbox :thumbs up.

AT fares much better on uphill drives compared to MT of the same car. I have driven both AT and MT variants of same car, i.e. A-Star , Verna diesel, CRV and Scorpio up the same gradient and found AT variants performing much better. Of course, all the above are Torque Converter ATs. I cannot vouch for CVTs. But in respect of the above vehicles, I have seen the AT variants charging up the incline at much faster pace than MT variants. So, I would say one can close his eyes and buy an AT for hills. For downhill driving, there is L , 1 , 2 and M (in Scorpio) . So, no worry there either.

If we exclude the AMTs , there arent many automatics which are available under 9L OTR.
1) i10 Sportz AT :
Good quality and a good allrounder too. 4-Speed AT and a lack of safety features are a downer.

2) Brio AT :
Not very loaded, but on a recent drive, my Brio 1.2 5-AT felt crisp,smooth and peppy. The gearbox does a good job extracting whatever the engine has to offer. Convenient and zippy for narrow small town roads as well.

3) Jazz S-CVT :
The CVT is great for normal city drives, however wont feel as peppy as a proper Torque converter AT.

4) Micra CVT :
I have driven the Micra CVT on some rather steep inclines during the TD , and it left the gearbox somewhat flummoxed at times. Good car and package though.

For 9L , your friend can fetch himself a good preowned Corolla-AT as well.